Athol High School announced the resignation of longtime volleyball coach Donna Lajoie this past week and that Josh Talbot has stepped down as coach of the baseball team. Both coaches have left a lasting impact on countless student athletes during their tenures.
Donna Lajoie will leave her coaching duties as girls volleyball coach while this past season was Talbot’s last as baseball coach. Those in the North Quabbin community knew of Lajoie’s departure around the beginning of the school year, while Talbot’s decision was more recent.
“For both coaches,” Athol Athletic Director Dan Bevis said, “their impact goes well beyond the volleyball court and the baseball field. They were able to connect with kids and really help elevate them into being better athletes and better people.”
Lajoie boasts multiple coaching stints throughout her career in Tool Town. Lajoie coached the boys volleyball team from 1997-2016, compiling a 198-162 record. Her final season with the boys varsity team coincided with the graduation of her son, Tyler Lajoie.
“It was a lot of fun to be able to coach my own child,” Lajoie said.
She then returned to the volleyball scene in 2020 when she took over the girls program. Lajoie went 34-52 from 2020-2025.
For good measure in showing her versatility, Lajoie coached the softball team for two years in 1995 and 1996, not to mention that one season as the junior varsity basketball coach for the girls squad in the winter of 1994. Lajoie had one more season with the boys, coaching the junior varsity team in 2021.
One major highlight of her career was the 2002 season when Athol went 17-3 and made it all the way to the Western Mass finals. That team lost to Agawam, 3-2, in an epic match.
“That was a really fun season,” Lajoie said. “That whole four years with those guys was just awesome. They were all exceptional athletes. We did well. They were just great to coach.”
Sean Sullivan was a senior on that team.
“I would definitely say she was a relationship driven coach,” Sullivan said. “She cared about all her players. She made it fun for us. That was the biggest thing.”
Another nugget about the 2002 team was some were originally basketball players who wanted to play another sport. Lajoie molded a group of basketball players into a group that formed one of the best volleyball teams in school history.
“We were looking for a spring sport to play,” Sullivan said. “She recruited some of us. We didn’t know anything about volleyball. She made it very fun every single day. But we also knew she was in charge. She taught us a lot about the game. She was a player’s coach. You want to play for her and do well. Everyone loved playing for her.”
The stories from the 2002 season did not just pertain to the volleyball court. Sullivan remembered some of the little things, like the bus rides. During these times in the yellow school buses, Lajoie could be found in the back of the bus playing cards with her players. The pregame speeches were always impactful for Sullivan, mixing levity with detailed scouting reports of the opponents.
“We loved communicating with her on the bus rides,” Sullivan said. “She just has such a fun side. You just want to be around her.”
Lajoie is in her final year of teaching business courses at Athol High School and plans on doing some traveling with her upcoming retirement. Lajoie joined the school in 1994.
“My husband is also retiring,” Lajoie said. “I am retiring from everything. The coaching kind of prevents you from traveling when you want to travel. That’s really the reason. It was a lot of fun. I loved it, I am sure I will miss it.”
Connecting through baseball
Talbot took over the baseball program in 2010. Talbot won three league championships and compiled a record of 106-175. For Talbot, it’s as simple as just needing a break. Talbot still coaches the football team for the Bears. He also coached the indoor track and field team in varying capacities from 2018-2021.
Talbot also did one year as an assistant for the wrestling team.
“The time was right,” Talbot said. “There’s only so much of myself to give to things. I just don’t have any more to give right now. Baseball is and always will be my first love. My family grew up on baseball. It has connected my family even as an adult. I need a break. I need some time away.”
Matt Talbot, his brother, served as an assistant for the last several years. The connection Talbot had with his players goes beyond the baseball diamond. During a recent summer, he found himself at a bachelor party surrounded by former players.
“It’s much deeper than just the game.” Talbot said. “You get to connect over the game. But then there are life lessons and then later in life things come full circle.”
Talbot graduated from Athol High School in 2003. He played on the Athol baseball state championship team as a starting catcher his senior season. Affectionately known as “Talbs” among his players, Talbot mentored some players from a very young age. Mark Ferrari, a hard-throwing right-hander, pitched for Athol from 2016-2020. Ferrari continued his baseball career at Franklin Pierce University.
“Talbs wasn’t just a coach to me,” Ferrari said. “We were extremely close on and off the field. He was with me every step of my career all the way from little league to high school. Trust me, it wasn’t always pretty. But thanks to his coaching ability and his understanding of the game and who I was as a person, he helped me excel throughout my years at Athol High School as a player and a student athlete.”
Nick Bousquet also played for Talbot from 2016-2020. The crafty left-handed pitcher went on to play baseball at Worcester State. Bousquet recalled a time playing as a freshman for the Bears. Playing against Mahar, the young pitcher walked two batters in a row in the fifth inning in a game that had playoff implications. That’s when Talbot called timeout and strolled to the mound to meet with his young pitcher.
“He didn’t say a word about baseball and cracked a joke,” Bousquet said. “It gave me not only perspective but took it the weight off my shoulders. Looking back, it showed me the value of what is important. All you can do is give it your all and let everything else fall into place.”
Talbot’s influence with Bousquet went beyond the field.
“Whether it was cracking jokes during tense times or giving me life advice in the locker room, he was always there for me,” Bousquet said. “He went above and beyond to help me develop as a player and a young man.”
While Lajoie is most certainly retired from coaching, Talbot does not rule out a possible return.
“I could definitely, potentially be interested in doing it again in the future,” Talbot said. “I coached some awesome kids along the way.”
Athol High School will hold open searches for both coaching vacancies.